Interaction of the Yangtze River and the Poyang Lake strongly affects the Poyang Lake water resources and flood and drought potentials in the lake basin. This interaction and its variation are examined in this study for the period 1957-2008. In addition, changes in the relationship between the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake after the operation of the Three-Gorge Dam (TGD) are evaluated using the TGD operation data available for 2004-2006. Major findings are shown as follows. 1) At interannual to decadal timescales the variation in the Poyang Lake water level is primarily determined by fluctuations of the climate and the inflow from the five major tributaries in the lake basin. By influencing the lake level these fluctuations also affect the lake-river interaction. 2) At the seasonal timescale, the Poyang Lake has the largest outflow to the Yangtze River and exerts a strong pressure on the mainstream during April-June, when the lake receives annual peak inflow from its tributaries. The Yangtze River's blocking and/or reversed flow to the Poyang Lake are the strongest during July-September. 3) The operation of the TGD has changed little in terms of seasonal variations of these lake and river forcings. In most of the seasons, the influence of the TGD has resulted in less than 10% of the variation in the Yangtze River flow. However, by damming or releasing water, the TGD can result in seasonal changes in the Yangtze River flow and river-lake interactions. These subtle effects from the TGD operation are quantified and compared to the climate effect on the river-lake interactions. These comparisons show enhancement in some seasons while weakening in the other seasons of the climate effect on river-lake interactions and flood or drought potential in the lake basin by the TGD operation.
GUO Hua, HU Qi, ZHANG Qi
. Changes in Hydrological Interactions of the Yangtze River and the Poyang Lake in China during 1957-2008[J]. Acta Geographica Sinica, 2011
, 66(5)
: 609
-618
.
DOI: 10.11821/xb201105004
[1] Killworth P D, Carmack E C. A filling-box model of river-dominated lakes. Limnology and Oceanography, 1979, 24(2):201-217.
[2] Carmack E C, Gray C J, Pharo C H et al. Importance of lake-river interaction on seasonal patterns in the general circulationof Kamloops Lake, British Columbia. Limnology and. Oceanography, 1979, 24(4): 634-644.
[3] Hu Q, Feng S, Guo H et al. Interactions of the Yangtze River flow and hydrologic processes of the Poyang Lake, China.Journal of Hydrology, 2007, 347: 90-100.
[4] Xiong L, Guo S. Trend test and change-point detection for the annual discharge series of the Yangtze River at the Yichanghydrological station. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 2004, 49: 99-112.
[5] Zhang Q, Chen G, Su B et al. Periodicity of sediment load and runoff in the Yangtze River Basin and possible impacts ofclimatic changes and human activities. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 2008, 53(2): 457-465.
[6] Chen X, Zong Y, Zhang E et al. Human impacts on the Changjiang (Yangtze) River Basin, China, with special reference tothe impacts on the dry season water discharges into the sea. Geomorphology, 2001, 41: 111-123.
[7] Chen X, Zhang E, Xu J. Large and episodic decrease of water discharge from the Yangtze River to the sea during the dryseason. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 2002, 47(1): 41-47.
[8] Yang S L, Gao A, Hotz H M et al. Trends in annual discharge from the Yangtze River to the sea (1865-2004). HydrologicalSciences Journal, 2005, 50(5): 825-836.
[9] Varis O, Vakkilainen P. China’s 8 challenges to water resources management in the first quarter of the 21st century.Geomorphology, 2001, 41: 93-104.
[10] Hu Xiying, Zhu Hongfu. Three-Gorge Project and flood protection of important city in the Poyang Lake district. Journalof Jiangxi Normal University: Natural Sciences Edition, 1998, 22(4): 365-370. [胡细英, 朱宏富. 三峡工程与鄱阳湖区重要城市防洪. 江西师范大学学报: 自然科学版, 1998, 22(4): 365-370.]
[11] Dai Z, Du J, Li J et al. Runoff characteristics of the Changjiang River during 2006: Effect of extreme drought and theimpounding of the Three Gorges Dam. Geophysical Research Letters, 2008, 35: L07406.
[12] Yang S L, Zhang J, Zhu J et al. Impact of dams on Yangtze River sediment supply to the sea and delta intertidal wetlandresponse. Journal of Geophysical Research, 2005, 110: F03006.
[13] Yang S L, Zhang J, Xu X J. Influence of the Three Gorges Dam on downstream delivery of sediment and itsenvironmental implications, Yangtze River. Geophysical Research Letters, 2007, 34: L10401.
[14] Zhang Q, Jiang T, Gemmer M et al. Precipitation, temperature and runoff analysis from 1950 to 2002 in the YangtzeBasin, China. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 2005, 50(1): 66-80.
[15] Feng S, Hu Q, Qian W. Quality control of daily meteorological data in China (1951-2000): A new dataset. InternationalJournal of Climatology, 2004, 24: 853-870.
[16] Guo Hua, Jiang Tong, Wang Guojie et al. Observed trends and jumps of climate change over Lake Poyang Basin, China:1961-2003. Journal of Lake Sciences, 2006, 18(5): 443-451. [郭华, 姜彤, 王国杰等. 1961-2003 年间鄱阳湖流域气候变化趋势及突变分析. 湖泊科学, 2006, 18(5): 443-451.]
[17] Hu Q. Centennial variations and recent trends in summer rainfall and runoff in the Yangtze River Basin, China. Journal ofLake Sciences, 2003, 15 (suppl.): 97-104.
[18] QianW, Lee D. Seasonal march of Asian summer monsoon. International Journal of Climatology, 2000, 20: 1371-1386.
[19] Wang B, Lin Ho. Rainy season of the Asian-Pacific summer monsoon. Journal of Climate, 2002, 15: 386-397.
[20] Hu Xiying. Ecological and environment changes in the Poyang Lake basin in the last century. Journal of Jiangxi NormalUniversity: Natural Sciences Edition, 2001, 25(2): 175-179. [胡细英. 鄱阳湖流域近百年生态环境的演变. 江西师范大学学报: 自然科学版, 2001, 25(2): 175-179. ]
[21] Guo H, Hu Q, Jiang T. Annual and seasonal streamflow responses to climate and land-cover changes in the Poyang LakeBasin, China. Journal of Hydrology, 2008, 355: 106-122.
